It’s so easy to give up on God, isn’t it? Why wouldn’t it be? We can’t see Him. We can’t hear Him? We can’t experience Him with our five senses, at least not conventionally. Having faith requires way more energy than just existing. The notion of waiting patiently can often feel painstakingly disappointing. Sometimes, it’s so much easier to say, “Why bother?!”

When most people talk about the pinnacle of faith, they usually cite Abraham. His faith in God allowed him to be the father of many nations. However, he almost allowed himself to be talked out of the blessings that God had promised him.

God had promised Abram that he would be the father of many nations. However, many years had passed, and his wife Sarai was still barren. Not only was she barren, she was also up in age. For years, there was no sign of God’s promise. In Sarai’s desperation, she offered Abram, her husband, to her servant Hagar. The Bible said that, “Abram had sexual relations with Hagar, and she became pregnant,” (Genesis 16:4, NLT).

Now, let’s look at this scenario from a human standpoint. Unless, Abram was a one-hit wonder, he probably didn’t hit the ball out of the park on the first attempt. That probably meant that he had multiple encounters with Hagar. I imagine that in Sarai’s attempt to increase the possibility of conception, she probably chose a young, pretty servant. In other words, Hagar was probably younger and prettier than Sarai. Imagine how horrible Sarai must have felt. Not only was she subject to the feeling of inadequacy, she was now subjected to shame, rejection, humiliation and jealousy. Additionally, when Hagar found out that she was pregnant, she began to mistreat Sarai, who ultimately became angry and resentful.

There are so many Biblical and cultural implications of the story of Hagar and Abram that we will not get into today. Let’s fast forward some 13 to 14 years later. Sarai and Abram whose name were now Sarah and Abraham, respectively, had a son, whom they named Isaac.

Hebrews 12:1-3 says:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. 3 Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up, (NLT).

The Bible illustrated that Abraham struggled with waiting on God (i.e. faith) as we ALL do. But here is the revelation that I had. Abraham and Sarah were desperate, but instead of taking their desperation to God, they took their desperation into their own hands and made a huge mess. Thankfully, God is faithful even when we are not. He never holds our past against us. The moment that Abraham took his desperation to God, God refreshed him (Abraham) and reminded him of the promise that He made to him. Shortly thereafter, Sarah became pregnant.

Here is the other revelation that I had: Don’t allow others to talk you out of what God has promised you. Only you know what your conversations with God were. It’s possible that God’s directives to you might seem ridiculous to others. It doesn’t matter. They weren’t meant for them. They were tailored to you!

I know that there are many people reading these words right now who are on the cusp of giving up on God. You are desperate. You are at the point of taking matters into your own hands, which might even include walking away from God.

3 At this, Abram fell face down on the ground. Then God said to him, 4 “This is my covenant with you: I will make you the father of a multitude of nations! 5 What’s more, I am changing your name. It will no longer be Abram. Instead, you will be called Abraham, for you will be the father of many nations. 6 I will make you extremely fruitful. Your descendants will become many nations, and kings will be among them! 7 “I will confirm my covenant with you and your descendants after you, from generation to generation. This is the everlasting covenant: I will always be your God and the God of your descendants after you. 8 And I will give the entire land of Canaan, where you now live as a foreigner, to you and your descendants. It will be their possession forever, and I will be their God,” (Genesis 17:3-8, NLT).

I believe that one of the reasons why God changed Abraham’s and Sarah’s names was to remind them that He does ALL things new. God is the author and the finisher of our faith. He is the Alpha and the Omega.

At this time, I encourage you to fall on the floor. Roll around if you have to. Scream out to God in desperation. Ask Him to remember the promises that He made to you. If you can’t think of a specific one, Jeremiah 29:11 is a good place to start. There, God promised to prosper you and give you hope and a future. Psalms 27:13 says, “I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living,” (KJV).

Today’s prayer: Lord, we come to you in desperation. We fall at your feet in reverent humility. Hear our hearts’ cry. Do not allow us to take matters into our own hands. The Bible says that you know us better than we know ourselves. Meet us at the point where our faith is weak and we can no longer stand. Lord, Sarai’s and Abram’s desperation set in because they did not see you move. They became weak waiting on you to move. Proverbs 13:12 says, Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life,” (NLT). God, today, our hearts’ cry is that you step in before we take matters into our own hands. Do not let us become so desperate that we move in our own accord. Lord, show us your power. Show us that you are the same God of Abraham–the God who created the Universe in His sovereign power. Lord, we thank you, and we bless your name. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen!